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Steps School Cafeterias Can Take to Adopt More Sustainable Practices

By Jasmine Vega

Over 28 million students nationwide ate school meals in the 2023-2024 school year, which naturally makes the content of their meals. What are students eating, and what are its environmental implications? One is the large carbon footprint that school lunches have.

It’s estimated schools in the United States waste 530,000 tons of food annually. Beyond the immense waste, students’ food choices, or lack thereof, can contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. There’s room for school nutrition policies to improve sustainably.  

Historically, the conversation has only been about adding “healthy foods” to school lunches. People generally believe parents and supporting adults are in favor, and students are against it. However, studies find that Gen-Z consumers have an increasing interest in the environmental implications of their food. When given the chance, this generation of young people would select plant-based foods based on environmental concerns.  

As a Texas resident who indulges in the occasional barbecue, I don’t mean to suggest meat is inherently bad or that everyone should become vegetarian or vegan. Moral opinions about animal-based food aside, they emit more carbon emissions than plant-based foods. That’s objectively true.  

For students and parents who wish to see change in their school meals, here are two steps you can advocate for to help your school adopt climate-friendly practices.  

  • Give students the freedom to choose alternatives 
  • Increase Plant-Based Meals through Weekly Menu Initiatives
    • Creating weekly menu initiatives such as “Meatless Mondays” or “Veggie Tuesdays” to ensure one or more days a week offer completely plant-based meals. 
    • Beef has a higher carbon footprint relative to other food sources. It emits 60 kg of greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat produced. Similarly, dairy products also emit more emissions. In contrast, almost all plant-based foods produce less than 10 kg of emissions.  

Increasing plant-based meal availability can be the most effective in reducing school lunch carbon emissions. The Unified School District in Oakland, California, participated in a case study that reduced their meat, poultry, and cheese purchases by 30% over two years. It resulted in a 14% reduction in the district’s carbon footprint and saved 42 million gallons of water annually. 

There are also monetary and nutritional incentives to increase plant-based food options.   

Plant-based foods are significantly cheaper than meat products. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s commodity costs, meat products are $2.49 more expensive per unit than beans. 

Additionally, as they’re subject to external factors such as weather, disease, and feed prices, animal-based products are difficult to plan for in annual budgets. Plant-based foods tend to have more predictable pricing and longer shelf life. Consequently, implementing food sources beyond animal-based products allows for resilience in the case of supply chain disruptions. 

The school district in Oakland saved $42,000 during its case study, allowing it to purchase more healthy fruits, vegetables, and even organic, pasture-raised beef. 

This isn’t to say schools should give up meat entirely. Students deserve autonomy in what they eat and form their opinions about meat alternatives. (Spoiler alert: the consensus is that they’re just as tasty.) 

After all, aren’t we a nation based on freedom? Plant-based foods should be more than just an afterthought; they should be regularly included in school menus. That way, future generations will be free to exist in a healthy, livable climate.  


Jasmine Vega is a student at the University of Texas at Austin and an intern with the Texas office of Public Citizen.